The False Sith - Interludes
by wangxiuming
Summary: On the run from the master that tried to kill them, Tosin and Hallie make their way out of Imperial space ... A collection of short stories set directly after the events of the False Sith.
1. Chapter 1

_**Interlude**_

* * *

Hallie rifled through the miniscule cargo bay of her starship in a frantic search for her last box of Taun Fawn Bites, jostling aside plasteel crates tossing already-perused canisters and lockboxes. She wondered for a moment how it would look if anyone saw her overturning the bay - in search of cookies, no less - but dismissed the concern almost immediately. Tosin was still resting in his quarters; there was no one else alive on the ship.

"I could've sworn I tucked it away here ... " she mumbled to no one in particular.

After another fifteen minutes of fruitless frustration picking through a junkyard of her own making, Hallie resigned herself to defeat. She had already scoured most of the ship searching for the honey-flavored cookies, all to no avail. A ration pack would have to do until they could find an opportunity to make a supply run.

On her way back to her quarters, Hallie stumbled into 2V-R6, the deranged and only semi-functioning protocol droid they had acquired to service the ship.

"Do you require anything, master? A hot *BRZZT* m-m-mealworm perhaps? Con- *BRZZT* - flagration? A foot- *ZBRRBT* massacre?"

She stared at the droid blankly for a moment before responding. "No foot massacres for me today, thanks … We really need to get someone to take a look at you, don't we?

"According to my memory databanks, [ _data not found_.] Would you like me to schedule main - *ZZBRRT* -character in the new play _Shadow of Re_ \- *BRZZT* -verse your hair loss with this new miracle formula, smuggled from the heart of Coruscant!"

Hallie sighed as the droid proceeded to spout what must've been stray radio signals. "... you wouldn't happen to have seen my stash of Taun Fawn cookies, would you?"

"Excellent! I was just wondering what I could do to - *RBRZZT* - Excellent! I was just wondering what I could do to - *BRZT* - was just wondering what I could - *ZBRZT* - just wondering what I could do to please you!"

To Hallie's relief, the droid ambled away without another malfunctioning word, metal feet clanking audibly against the floor. She really would have to have the droid looked at, though she had originally hoped to make it out of Imperial space first. In case the surviving Siphon came back looking for revenge, Hallie preferred not to leave a trail to follow if possible.

She rounded the corner and came to Tosin's quarters. _Might as well ask…_

She knocked. There was no reply, but from inside, she heard a scuffling sound. Hallie couldn't help herself. The door was unlocked; she activated the release, only to find Tosin in his skivvies with a scrunched up shirt in his hands, undoubtedly in an effort to scramble and get dressed before she did exactly what she had just done.

Before Tosin could utter a word, Hallie yelped her apology. "Sorry! Sorry! I'll uh … I'll come back! After you're dressed. Yes. Toodles!"

She fled at a brisk stride, reaching the cockpit where she found 2V-R6 waiting for her. "As you requested, Mistress. Is there anything else I can do to please you?"

Without a word, Hallie accepted the ration pack the droid had meticulously carved into the shape of a young taun taun, complete with a wide-eyed smile.

* * *

Once Hallie was safely out of view, Tosin quietly un-scrunched his shirt; it was covered in cookie crumbs.

Dropping the mess in his hamper, he made a mental note to volunteer to do the next round of laundry.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Interlude**_

* * *

Something felt ... off.

Tosin wiped his face clean with a soggy towel and stared into the mirror above the sink in the ship's lavatory. His face stared back at him, unimpressed. He thought a shower and a shave might restore a sense of normalcy, a sense of familiarity; it did, but only in the smallest sense. Something still didn't feel right.

Everything was different now: he had gone from a Sith Lord respected by many of his peers to a fugitive. An apostate living aboard a starship, desperate to make ends meet where once he had been privy to luxury. In Darth Siphon's service, he could've expected the best meals, superior accommodations, and the service of only the highest caliber of slaves. Now, he ate ration packs and struggled to acclimate himself into living quarters barely larger than his old closet.

Back then, Agent Hallian Quen would have addressed him as Lord, would have catered to his whim and needs. Now, they worked together as equals, sharing in all tasks aboard the ship from scrubbing the floors to cleaning laundry. She called him "Toes" entirely too often.

Before, he could have asked for any of her possessions, and it would be expected and understood that she would offer them to him freely. Now, he had to hide his shame after swiping baked treats from her like a child. He thought back to before the Kaggath, how much the woman aggravated him. Now, he was grateful for her company. What's more ... he actually cared how she felt. Cared what she thought of him.

That was perhaps the most unsettling of all. Why did he care?

Everything had changed when he disavowed his former master. But could this single act bring about such a transformation within himself? Was this how he would have felt had he never joined Siphon at all?

He glanced back to the mirror and his heart skipped a beat and a chill ran down his spine. For just a second, the color of his eyes seemed to flicker, the sinister yellow of his irises darkened to a pale mahogany.

Tosin splashed water onto his face and wiped it off again. Returning to his reflection, he saw that his irises had returned to normal.

Perhaps he was just seeing things. It had been a long day.

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.


End file.
